1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a content distribution notification method for notifying a client that content can be seen by live distribution when the content is intended to be distributed by live distribution by a distribution server that distributes content by streaming to clients, a reservation control apparatus and a program storage medium storing programs to be executed by the reservation control apparatus.
2. Description of the Invention
In a computer network system, an individual generally opens a homepage to provide created content over the Internet.
When a user personally opens a homepage, the user acquires a homepage creation program with a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “PC”), creates a homepage hyper-linked with a plurality of content based on the homepage creation program and stores the homepage in a server of an Internet service provider (hereinafter referred to as “ISP”).
Then, the ISP provides the homepage to a client who has accessed it over the Internet from the server and when an anchor on the homepage is clicked, then the ISP provides linked content.
In recent years, contents to be supplied to clients over the Internet include many motion pictures and sounds in addition to still pictures. To provide content such as motion pictures, motion picture files and audio files created by the user are uploaded beforehand in a predetermined storage area in a streaming server of the ISP. Then, upon receiving a client's request, the streaming server of the ISP distributes corresponding files to the client by streaming over the Internet.
Furthermore, the technique of distributing content such as motion pictures to clients over the Internet includes a technique called “live distribution”, in addition to “on-demand distribution” whereby a motion picture file is uploaded in a streaming server beforehand and distributed in response to a request from a client as described above. In the live distribution, motion picture data created by a content creator, for example, using a digital camera, is encoded in real time and is sent to the streaming server over the Internet, etc. Then, the streaming server reproduces the motion picture data supplied in real time from the content creator while recording it in a dedicated storage area, and can thereby supply the motion picture data in real time to the requesting client.
On the other hand, when the above-described live distribution is performed, a content creator needs to send motion picture data to the streaming server in real time, and therefore it is necessary to keep a communication path to transmit motion picture data between a streaming server and a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “PC”) of the content distributor when the live distribution is performed. This limits the number of content that can be distributed by the live distribution by the streaming server at the same time. In a rush hour, some content distributors who have prepared for the live distribution in the time zone may not perform the live distribution in that time zone. In order to prevent such a problem and to effectively use the streaming server to perform live distribution, it is considered that the streaming server should be reserved.
Reserving the streaming server to use realizes a service that may meet the content distributor's demand that live distribution be reliably available in a reserved time zone.
Furthermore, the content distributor may want to distribute content to specific people by the live distribution in a reserved time zone. For example, in the case of distributing content of image data, etc. of pictures taken of a wedding ceremony and wedding reception, etc. by the live distribution, it may be desired that live video, etc. of the wedding ceremony be presented to the couple's family members and friends, etc. who are absent from the ceremony.
In the case where it is desired that live video, etc. of the wedding ceremony be presented to those family members and friends, etc., the content distributor may notify that people of the distribution time and the connection method to receive distribution, that is, the method of accessing the streaming server, by telephone, etc. in advance, and the family members and friends, etc. can receive the content by accessing the streaming server at the distribution time, but such a notification procedure is bothering work.